1 Peter 5:8
New International Version
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

New Living Translation
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

English Standard Version
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Berean Standard Bible
Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Berean Literal Bible
Be sober-minded; watch. Your adversary the devil prowls about as a roaring lion seeking whom to devour,

King James Bible
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

New King James Version
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

New American Standard Bible
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

NASB 1995
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

NASB 1977
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Legacy Standard Bible
Be of sober spirit, be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Amplified Bible
Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour.

Christian Standard Bible
Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.

American Standard Version
Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour,

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Be alert, be reflective, because your enemy Satan roars like a lion and is walking and seeking whom he may devour.

Contemporary English Version
Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Be sober and watch: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour.

English Revised Version
Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Keep your mind clear, and be alert. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion as he looks for someone to devour.

Good News Translation
Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the Devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

International Standard Version
Be clear-minded and alert. Your opponent, the devil, is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

Literal Standard Version
Be sober, vigilant, because your opponent the Devil walks around as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may swallow up,

Majority Standard Bible
Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

New American Bible
Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for [someone] to devour.

NET Bible
Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour.

New Revised Standard Version
Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour.

New Heart English Bible
Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Webster's Bible Translation
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Weymouth New Testament
Curb every passion, and be on the alert. Your great accuser, the Devil, is going about like a roaring lion to see whom he can devour.

World English Bible
Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Young's Literal Translation
Be sober, vigilant, because your opponent the devil, as a roaring lion, doth walk about, seeking whom he may swallow up,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Cast Your Cares on Him
7Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 8Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.…

Cross References
Job 1:7
"Where have you come from?" said the LORD to Satan. "From roaming through the earth," he replied, "and walking back and forth in it."

Proverbs 28:15
Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.

Matthew 24:42
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day on which your Lord will come.

Mark 4:15
Some are like the seeds along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.

2 Corinthians 2:11
in order that Satan should not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

2 Timothy 4:17
But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of the lion.

James 4:7
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.


Treasury of Scripture

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour:

sober.

1 Peter 1:13
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

1 Peter 4:7
But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

Matthew 24:48-50
But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; …

your.

Esther 7:6
And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.

Job 1:6
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.

Job 2:2
And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

the devil.

Matthew 4:1,11
Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil…

Matthew 13:39
The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

Matthew 25:41
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

as.

Judges 14:5
Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.

Psalm 104:21
The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.

Proverbs 19:12
The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass.

walketh.

Job 1:7
And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

Job 2:2
And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

devour.

Jump to Previous
Accuser Adversary Alert Curb Devil Devour Enemy Evil Food Goes Great Lion Mouth Open Passion Prowls Roaring Search Seeking Self-Controlled Serious Sober Spirit Vigilant Walketh Walks Watch Watchful
Jump to Next
Accuser Adversary Alert Curb Devil Devour Enemy Evil Food Goes Great Lion Mouth Open Passion Prowls Roaring Search Seeking Self-Controlled Serious Sober Spirit Vigilant Walketh Walks Watch Watchful
1 Peter 5
1. He exhorts the elders to feed their flocks;
5. the younger to obey;
8. and all to be sober, watchful, and constant in the faith;
9. and to resist the cruel adversary the devil.














(8) Be sober, be vigilant.--Single words in the Greek, and in the tense which bespeaks immediate attention. The best text omits the following "because." These are the sudden cries of warning of a shepherd who spies the lion prowling round the flock in the darkness, while the guardians of the flock lie drowsy and secure.

As a roaring lion.--The epithet is not only added to lend terror to the description, but the roaring implies hunger and determination.

Walketh about.--Comp. Job 1:7; Job 2:2. St. Peter, however, is not calling attention to the fact that Satan is always prowling about, but he warns the sleeping shepherds that he is especially doing so now. This season of persecution was just his time for picking off one here and another there.

Seeking whom he may devour.--Perhaps still more expressive to say, "seeking which he may devour." Satan is eyeing all the Christians in turn to see which he has the best chance of, not merely stalking forth vaguely to look for prey.

Verse 8. - Be sober, be vigilant (comp. 1 Thessalonians 5:6). For the first word, νήψατε, see note on 1 Peter 4:7. The second γρηγόρησατε, is the word so often and so emphatically used by our Lord (Mark 13:35, 37; Matthew 26:40, 41, etc.). The imperatives are aorist, as in 1 Peter 4:7; and, as there, either imply that the exhortation was needed by the readers, or are used to express vividly the necessity of instant attention. Because your adversary the devil. The conjunction "because" is omitted in the best manuscripts. The asyndeten, as in the last clause, increases the emphasis. The word rendered "adversary" ἀντίδικος means properly an opponent in a lawsuit, as in Matthew 5:25; but it is also used generally for "adversary," and so is a translation of the Hebrew word Satan. The word διάβολος, devil, means "slanderer," "false accuser." As a roaring lion. He is called a serpent to denote his subtlety, a lion to express his fierceness and strength. The word rendered "roaring" ὠρυόμενος is used especially of the cries of wild beasts when ravenous with hunger (see Psalm 104:21; and comp. Psalm 22:13, 21). Walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (comp. Job 1:7; Job 2:2). The words express the restless energy of the wicked one. He cannot touch those who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation; but he walketh about, looking eagerly after any lost sheep that may have wandered from the fold. He roars in the craving of his heart for prey, like a hungry lion, seeking whom he may devour, or (for the reading here is somewhat uncertain) to devour some one, or simply to devour. The Greek word means literally "to drink down;" it implies utter destruction. It is the word in 1 Corinthians 15:54, "Death is swallowed up κατεπόθη in victory." Satan now seeks whom he may destroy: "The Lord will destroy him that hath the power of death, that is, the devil" (Hebrews 2:14).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Be sober-minded
Νήψατε (Nēpsate)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 3525: (lit: I am sober), I am calm (vigilant), circumspect. Of uncertain affinity: to abstain from wine, i.e. be discreet.

[and] alert.
γρηγορήσατε (grēgorēsate)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 1127: (a) I am awake (in the night), watch, (b) I am watchful, on the alert, vigilant. From egeiro; to keep awake, i.e. Watch.

Your
ὑμῶν (hymōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

adversary
ἀντίδικος (antidikos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 476: An opponent (at law), an adversary. From anti and dike; an opponent; specially, Satan.

the
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

devil
διάβολος (diabolos)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1228: From diaballo; a traducer; specially, Satan.

prowls around
περιπατεῖ (peripatei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 4043: From peri and pateo; to tread all around, i.e. Walk at large; figuratively, to live, deport oneself, follow.

like
ὡς (hōs)
Adverb
Strong's 5613: Probably adverb of comparative from hos; which how, i.e. In that manner.

a roaring
ὠρυόμενος (ōryomenos)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5612: To roar, howl, as a beast. Middle voice of an apparently primary verb; to 'roar'.

lion,
λέων (leōn)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3023: A lion. A primary word; a 'lion'.

seeking
ζητῶν (zētōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2212: To seek, search for, desire, require, demand. Of uncertain affinity; to seek; specially, to worship, or to plot.

[someone]
τινα (tina)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

to devour.
καταπιεῖν (katapiein)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 2666: To drink down, swallow, devour, destroy, consume. From kata and pino; to drink down, i.e. Gulp entire.


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NT Letters: 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober and self-controlled (1 Pet. 1P iP i Pet)
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